RNC issues ultimatum to NBC and CNN: If you want to air GOP debates in 2016, cancel your Hillary movies

posted at 12:41 pm on August 5, 2013 by Allahpundit

I’m confused. Even if both networks yield to the RNC’s demands, their intent to promote Hillary has already been proved. Why trust them to be “neutral” arbiters going forward just because the movies end up being canceled under pressure?

Is Candy Crowley suddenly a legit moderator again if “Hilary! The Movie” suspends production?

Today Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus sent a letter to Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment, and Jeff Zucker, President of CNN Worldwide, calling on their networks to cancel their attempts to influence Americans’ political decisions. Both networks are airing programs promoting former Secretary Hillary Clinton ahead of her likely candidacy for president in 2016. NBC has announced plans to air a miniseries, while CNN is producing a documentary. If the productions are not canceled prior to the start of the RNC’s Summer Meeting, Chairman Priebus will seek a binding vote of the RNC to prevent the committee from partnering with these networks in 2016 primary debates or sanctioning debates they sponsor.

“It’s appalling to know executives at major networks like NBC and CNN who have donated to Democrats and Hillary Clinton have taken it upon themselves to be Hillary Clinton’s campaign operatives,” said Chairman Priebus. “Their actions to promote Secretary Clinton are disturbing and disappointing. I hope Americans will question the credibility of these networks and that NBC and CNN will reconsider their partisan actions and cancel these political ads masked as unbiased entertainment. If they have not agreed to pull this programming prior to the start of the RNC’s Summer Meeting on August 14, I will seek a binding vote stating that the RNC will neither partner with these networks in 2016 primary debates nor sanction primary debates they sponsor.”

Read Priebus’s letter to NBC. He notes — correctly — that the parent network of MSNBC is, necessarily, not real trustworthy to begin with. He notes — correctly — that an awful lot of money has been raised for Democrats by execs at Comcast, NBC’s own parent network. (He also notes — correctly — that NBC’s Hillary boosterism hurts her Democratic rivals for the nomination as much as it hurts the GOP.) And then … he essentially offers to go through with the debates if the Hillary movie is spiked. Why?

Reforming the primary debate process has been a central component of the RNC’s 2012 autopsy, with party officials trying to restrict the number of debates and screen out unfriendly debate moderators. But the effort to cut back on the number of debates has run into headwinds from Republican state parties in early states, who in many instances see revenue from co-hosting the debates and associated events. The autopsy recommends changing the RNC rules to include penalties for Republican state parties or candidates if they participate in debates unsanctioned by the RNC.

To date that provision has not caught on. But Priebus’s letter is designed to make that easier when the Republican National Committee meets in Boston next week to discuss the debate schedule, according to one member of the Republican National Committee. “If they have not agreed to pull this programming prior to the start of the RNC’s Summer Meeting on August 14, I will seek a binding vote stating that the RNC will neither partner with these networks in 2016 primary debates nor sanction primary debates they sponsor,” Priebus wrote in his letter.

Republican Party officials believe the 20 GOP primary debates during the 2012 cycle hurt their party and Mitt Romney, the eventual nominee. They proposed a more modest 10-12 debates, in part to protect better-funded candidates from insurgents who capitalize on their time before the cameras.

Priebus has indeed been calling for fewer debates for months. The more debates there are, the more chances there are for promising candidates to stumble fatally (like Rick Perry did) and the more chances there are for grassroots upstarts like Ted Cruz to make inroads at the expense of the establishment’s preferred candidates. But how can the RNC call for fewer debates without antagonizing the grassroots (and the state parties looking to make a buck from them)? Simple: Frame it as a war on media bias. Although, again, that raises the question of why the RNC even gave NBC and CNN a chance to retain their debate rights. Why not just declare the Hillary movies an unpardonable act of partiality and pull the plug? If they promised CBS and ABC exclusive network rights to carry the debates, the public pat on the back for comparative objectivity (emphasis on “comparative”) might make those nets a teensy bit better disposed towards the GOP and its nominee going forward than they’d otherwise be.

I guess Priebus figures there’s no way that either CNN or NBC will bow to their demands here, in which case it’s better for PR reasons to offer them a choice and have it be rejected than to simply pull the plug unilaterally. This way, with the RNC having now framed the issue as a test of the networks’ biases, when they go ahead and insist on airing the movies anyway, it’ll look like they’ve knowingly and willingly chosen to stick with Hillary boosterism than be neutral brokers in 2016. There’s some political value in that for Republicans, for this news cycle at least.

Exit quotation:

Bigger threat would be that Crossroads won't air ads on NBC/CNN in retaliation for Hillary flicks #notgonnahappen

Blowback

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Matter of fact, Capitalist Hog, the more research I do on you the less I like you. I certainly won’t trust your judgement on anything. You may well be a troll for all I know. Go back and read some of your stuff and let me know what you think.

Not really. Neither you or John “Last In My Class” McCain are really all that much of an intellectual challenge. It doesn’t take much brains to just attack and badmouth Republicans and conservatives constantly, and that’s all you and Hanoi John do anyway.

Oooh. Hear that, guys? We’ve been outed! It’s such a shame bigotry isn’t a bannable offense here. Otherwise, we’d all be buried under the mountain of incontrovertible evidence CapHog has amassed against us.

GOP debates hosted by pro-Democrat networks and moderated by pro-Democrats should always be turned into hilarious roasts of said networks and moderators. If they don’t get multiple FCC sternly worded letters by the time you’re through with them, you’re not ready for prime time.

The more debates there are, the more chances there are for promising candidates to stumble fatally (like Rick Perry did)

I’m all for fewer debate than the insane number there were last time, but this notion is pretty stupid. However decent a President he might have been, Perry’s unsuitability as a candidate would have been exposed by Axelrod if it hadn’t been exposed by Republicans, and conservatism would now not even have the fig leaf of Romney’s status as a moderate Obamacare-inventor to keep hope alive for next time.

CNN should be on the permanent fecal roster and permanently off any consideration after Candy Crowley fully presstituted herself for Zero and Wolfie Blitzers services rendered to Shrillary in the primary debates and dedicated pretending things didn’t happen during the Clintoon ad-grope-istration. Same for ABC and Miss Stuffinenvelopes shameless carrying of the DNC torch.

Did I mention Diane “Stoned” Sawyer creepiness during the debates or Angria Mitchell crazy aunt demeanor?

The problem isn’t that they are doing a series on Hillary; the problem is that they have proven themselves to be incredibly biased and willing to outright lie to protect their favored party. The haliography isn’t going to change that, and making that specifically the reason to pull the debates just paint the RNC as trying to muzzle people who don’t agree with them.

If they are going to do this, tie it to the Crowely affair, and all the rest of the BS they pulled last election. This thing, however, is just crass.

this is the time to cut all ties to the MSM. We have a sizeable, right-of-center media now. We don’t need the big 3 or the lefties at CNN/MSNBC. During the primaries we need to put together our own debates with our own moderators. During the election season we need to bow out of known liberal, ambush-style debates put together by the MSM unless we can have 50% of the say in how they’re put together with equal representation. When will our side ever wake up?? We don’t belong on The View!!

With all the chatter within the GOP (particularly conservative pundits) about how Republicans struggle to win the narrative and effectively communicate the platform, it surprises me that this is the RNC’s solution.

For once let’s take a page out of the Dems’ playbook. Instead of trying to squash the Hilary flicks, how about preparing a Republican version of the same? Start preparing…

On the surface it may appear to be that the mouse is roaring against the Killary movie but that could be a cover for an attempt to gain control over any R candidate who could be TP backed and their 1st A right to free speech.

Why doesn’t the RNC do a movie about Benghazi and Hillary’s special part in it.

Who would play Hillary?

stenwin77 on August 6, 2013 at 6:23 AM

It would be the first movie set destroyed by a squadron of drones ever….
Though he’s gone now, I’d audition Telly Savalas for the Hillary role. Who else could take all that sniper fire and laugh it off so perfectly?

I think somebody needs to start working on some ads about Hillary to air during the Hillary movies. Mention some things that the movies might miss, like Benghazi, Travelgate, and her business dealings in Arkansas.

Without the TEA Party, the GOP is simply Demoncrap Lite, too bad for folks like Socialist Dog, that worm has turned and too many people are fully aware that either party – as they exist – would do the same damage to this country.

If the GOP continues to listen to people like he/she/it – they are doomed – period.

That tragedy will be the result of Tea Party malpractice, malfeasance and malodorous supporters.

Priebus the Prince is feckless. His decrees are mocked almost as much as those issued by Steele.

MSNBC is a needle in the DNC vein. They’re symbiotic…or more like a a Human Centipede. MSNBC is probably going into emergency-production of another Hillary movie starring Lawrence O’donnell as Hillary.

CNN will cave.

RNC will in true form also cave even though they did not have to.

I am right. You are welcome.

Capitalist Hog on August 5, 2013 at 2:05 PM

.
At least you’re right about MSNBCS.

But that’s all the credit you get from me.
.

You send that email yet?

CurtZHP on August 5, 2013 at 1:34 PM

.
You still __________ that chicken?

I unlike every one of my cowardly detractors don’t whine about words used against me. I reply with my own words.

I notice you and your gaggle fantasizing about me in qotd. What’s her face, um, hornetsting emerged from her “bubble bath” wondering if I was still around.

Thanks for the option to live rent-free in your mind; I wish there was more space up there.

You’re still an anti-Muslim, anti-black and anti-gay bigot. Your retort will plead otherwise. But your past words belie your true feelings about Muslims, Latinos, homosexual men and African-Americans (other than Allen West or perhaps Alan Keyes).

Capitalist Hog on August 5, 2013 at 2:05 PM

.
Sounds like CurtZHP is using political ideology to define his “likes and dislikes.”

Without the TEA Party, the GOP is simply Demoncrap Lite, too bad for folks like Socialist Dog, that worm has turned and too many people are fully aware that either party – as they exist – would do the same damage to this country.

If the GOP continues to listen to people like he/she/it – they are doomed – period.

I personally want to see the documentary about Obama’s CIA weapons-running program out of Benghazi and into the hands of waiting Jihadists / terrorists in Syria, about how no US Military or otherwise personnel were provided each time Ambassador Stevens begged for more security because Obama did not want anyone to know about the operation, about how Obama sacrificed Stevens & 3 other Americans by refusing to allow any response team to go into Benghazi to keep the CIA Op secret, and how involved hillary was, considering she participated in the cover-up!

RNC needs to back up the threat by publicly entering talks with cable networks for the next presidential election. RNC needs to completely bypass lamestream networks (and CNN)altogether until they stop with the liberal ideology crap!!!

The RNC should not participate in any debate unless it is on Fox. The liberal bias in the media has only gotten worse as our nation has unraveled under this president. Candy was the last straw. The RNC candidate will never be treated fairly on NBC, CBS, ABC or CNN. They are in the tank for the lefties, and they don’t play fair (and don’t care that they are called out on it). Romney had a chance until he got soft (probably on the advice of the McCain’s in the senate) in the last debate. We have to hammer them, and hammer them, and hammer them on all of their failings. It’s not like there isn’t a lot to highlight. The RNC needs to be more like the DNC, and play to win. Grow some balls, H******y sized balls.